Indian wrestlers Sushil Kumar (L) and Yogeshwar Dutt drop a petition letter into a collection box during a promotional campaign in New Delhi on March 7, 2013, to garner support for reinstating wrestling as a core sport in the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee executive board last month recommended that wrestling be dropped from the 2020 programme.
Indian London Olympic 2012 medal winners wrestler Sushil Kumar (R) poses with opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader Lal Krishna Advani during a reception at his residence in New Delhi on August 17, 2012. India collected six medals and no golds at the Olympics, saying that the modest haul was a record and efforts were already under way to improve.
Indian London Olympic 2012 medal winners (L-R) wrestler Sushil Kumar, shooter Vijay Kumar, boxer Mary Kom,and shooter Gagan Narang display their medals during a felicitation ceremony in New Delhi on August 16, 2012. India collected six medals and no golds at the Olympics, saying that the modest haul was a record and efforts were already under way to improve.
Indian wrestler Sushil Kumar (C),Olympics silver medalist in the men's 66kg freestyle event, gestures on his arrival at IGI airport in New Delhi on August 13, 2012. Kumar on Sunday became the first individual athlete from India to win back-to-back medals at the Olympics.
Sushil Kumar is the first Indian to win back-to-back medals in Olympics in individual category. In 2008 Beijing Olympics he won a bronze medal and this time in London he went a step higher and a grabbed a silver in the men's 66kg Freestyle wrestling.
I always try to do best for my country. And did my best this time, everyone's blessings were with me, Sushil Kumar told CNN-IBN.
Kumar thanked his family, guruji and coach for his phenomenal feat. His medal on Sunday took India's tally to six medals, double than what was achieved in Beijing.
London Olympics silver medallist Sushil Kumar said he wanted to win the gold in the men's 66kg freestyle wrestling event and hear India's national anthem.
Sushil lost the Sunday final to Japanese Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu, settling for a silver and becoming the first individual athlete from India to win medals back-to-back in the Olympics.
